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Through the application of international public relations, the Chinese government can neutralize the negative effects of the "made in China" stigma, thereby protecting China's national image

THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS,
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT CAN NEUTRALIZE THE NEGATIVE
EFFECTS OF THE “MADE IN CHINA” STIGMA, THEREBY PROTECTING
CHINA’S NATIONAL IMAGE
by
Ao Kong
Copyright 2008 Ao Kong
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)
December 2008

A series of quality problems of Chinese-manufactured products in 2007 was a major crisis in China and attracted extensive international attention. As the chaos gradually settled down, many questions remain, for instance: does the issue have a long-term impact on the "Made in China" label or China's national image? How much progress has the Chinese government made in handling crises after the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis, the milestone that made Chinese officials recognize the importance of international public relations?; This thesis explores the stigma of the "Made in China" label and the public relations practices implemented by the Chinese government during 2007. It also examines global marketing and consumer behavior theories that explain the reason individual product incidents can damage the country of origin's image and affect its long-term economic development. The thesis provides suggestions for the Chinese government to better handle crises and build a more favorable national image by utilizing international public relations strategies.

THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS,
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT CAN NEUTRALIZE THE NEGATIVE
EFFECTS OF THE “MADE IN CHINA” STIGMA, THEREBY PROTECTING
CHINA’S NATIONAL IMAGE
by
Ao Kong
Copyright 2008 Ao Kong
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)
December 2008